This is comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 11/28/07. It has been nine days since the image below and the comet is still
expanding!

Date(s)

11/19/2007

Exposure Data

RGB = 12:12:12 minutes

Optics and Camera

Takahashi FSQ-106EDSBIG ST-2000XM w/CFW8ATru-Balance LRGB Filters

Processing Tools

CCDStackPhotoshop CS3

This is comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 11/19/07. It continues to expand. The star Mirfak
(Alpha Perseus) can be seen shining through the comet on this night.

This image can also be seen in the 2009 Official Calendar of the Vatican Observatory for the month of October.

Date(s)

11/14/2007

Exposure Data

LRGB = 6:12:12:12 minutes

Optics and Camera

Takahashi FSQ-106EDSBIG ST-2000XM w/CFW8ATru-Balance LRGB Filters

Processing Tools

CCDStackPhotoshop CS3

This is comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 11/14/07. Astronomers estimate that this expanding ball of dust
and gas is now the largest object in the solar system! The faint tail seen in the image below has detached
from body of the comet a few days ago and has faded from view. The bright area towards the upper right is
glow from the star Mirfak (Alpha Perseus).

Date(s)

11/02/2007

Exposure Data

LRGB = 12:24:24:24 minutes

Optics and Camera

Takahashi FSQ-106EDSBIG ST-2000XM w/CFW8ATru-Balance LRGB Filters

Processing Tools

CCDStackPhotoshop CS3

The image above shows comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 11/02/07. In addition to the head, a faint tail
can be seen exiting toward the top and right. The comet continues to grow in size though not quite as much
as the comparison images below would suggest. This image was taken with a different camera setup that has
roughly 1/2 of the field of view as the images below. To suggest an idea of the size of the comet on this
night, four full moons could easily be placed in this image.

Date(s)

7:58 PM MDT10/28/2007

Exposure Data

10 & 30 second exposures combined, ISO800

Optics and Camera

Takahashi FSQ-106EDNikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS3

The image above shows comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 10/28/07. It has grown significantly in size
from the 10/24/07 image below. In addition to the nucleus, background stars can be see shining though
the comet.

Date(s)

9:34 PM MDT10/24/2007

Exposure Data

10 seconds, ISO800

Optics and Camera

Takahashi FSQ-106EDNikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS3

The image above shows comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 10/24/07. At best it can be described as a
bright dot that is somewhat larger than the surrounding stars.

Date(s)

8:35 PM MDT10/24/2007

Exposure Data

30 seconds, ISO800

Optics and Camera

Nikon D70s18-70mm F3.5-4.5 G

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS3

The image above shows the location of comet 17P/Holmes on the evening 10/24/07. During the previous 24
hours the comet had undergone a brightness change that moved it from the realm of large telescopes to naked eye
visibility. Though the comet is bright, no tail is visible. This makes it hard to distinguish from
the stars in the image above. However if you mouseover the image, constellation lines marking Perseus will
appear and 17P/Holmes will be circled.